The following is a detailed analysis of the current Cadillac
Area Public Schools union
contract that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The
district employs about 180 teachers and enrolls 3,200 students. Of its $28 million
operating budget, about 65
percent goes toward paying employees working under this contract.

Salary Schedule

Base salaries are determined strictly by
"steps," which use a matrix of years experience and graduate credit hours and
degrees.

There are 11 "steps" on the schedule, meaning
teachers get automatic 2 to 5 percent pay raises for their first 10 years in
the district.

The 11th step amounts to an automatic 12 percent
raise.

In addition to step increases, the entire salary
schedule increases by 2 percent each year.

54 percent of teachers have graduate degrees and
75 percent have more than 5 years experience, meaning the vast majority of
teachers' base salary is between $41,412 and $65,173.

The Michigan Department of Education reported
the average teacher salary in Cadillac in 2008-09 was $55,617.

Longevity Payment:

16th year: $1,000-$1,150.

21st year: $1,225-$1,375.

26th year: $1,450-$1,600.

Fringe Benefits

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The district's current health insurance plan for
teachers cost $18,229
per teacher for a family plan.

Teachers contribute nothing per month to the
cost of this premium.

The average family premium for a health plan in
Michigan cost 39 percent less ($13,160)
in 2009, with employees contributing 21 percent ($2,800) of those costs.

This plan includes no annual deductibles, $5
office visit co-pay and a $10/$20 RX plan.

Each teacher who does not enroll in a medical
insurance plan gets $220 per month (up from $200 in 2008-2009).

The district also provides at no cost to
teachers dental, vision, life ($50,000) and long-term disability ($4,500)
insurance. These cost the district another $1,734 per family plan.

If the insurance premium increases
by less than 7 percent teachers will receive an additional $7-$280 dollars
per year (the lower the increase the higher the payout to teachers).

After 55, subsidized
medical, dental and vision insurance for life (employees never contribute more
than 18 percent of premiums)

Annual pension based on 30 years experience in Cadillac
with base salary of $65,173 (final M.A. step): $29,328 (for most retirees, this amount increases
by 3 percent every year)

Redemption of sick days at retirement: $110 each
(into a 403b)

As an early retirement incentive, the district
also purchases 3 "service credits" for up to two teachers who have at least 27
years logged in the pension system.

Bonus Pay for
Additional Duties or Certification

Teaching a class in lieu
of having a prep hour: 20-25 percent increase in salary ($11,123-$13,904,
based on average salary)

Subbing for a regular
teacher: $20/hr. (can also be turned into "comp time")

Inservice time outside
contractual work day: $16/hr.

Volunteering to work special
assignments outside contractual day: $24/hr.

Teaching independent study:
$600 per student per semester

Home visits to 75 percent
of students: $200

Elementary teachers get
$20/hr. if their students miss a "special" class (P.E., art, etc.)

Lunch duty: $9.75 per
30-minute period

Teaching a class that
exceeds maximum class size: $1,250 per class

Attendance incentive:

Teachers with maximum
number of sick days accumulated are paid 20-30 percent (depending on the
number of sick days used) of their daily pay per year into a tax
sheltered annuity ($742-$1,112 based on average salary).

Unused personal days
result in 3 comp hours or the financial equivalent.